RENTON, Wash. —The Seattle Seahawks host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in a recreation that may take a look at whether or not coach Mike Macdonald and his new employees can keep away from falling into an outdated behavior that plagued the earlier regime.
Within the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Seahawks usually turned overly reliant on quarterback Geno Smith and the passing recreation to achieve success. At occasions, that was sufficient. Seattle ranked eleventh in factors per drive over the course of Smith’s first two seasons because the starter (all stats supplied by TruMedia except said in any other case).
Smith had eight game-winning drives in these two seasons and led the league in that class in 2023 with 5. However Seattle’s recipe for fulfillment was largely unsustainable, even towards dangerous groups. In 2022, the Seahawks had been swept by the NFC South regardless of all 4 groups ending with shedding information. Final yr, the Seahawks had been 3-7 towards playoff groups and, at one level, misplaced 4 straight video games to groups that made the postseason.
Seattle’s 23-20 win over New England on Sunday was a blast from the previous on offense in that regard. Smith had extra dropbacks (48) than Zach Charbonnet had speeding yards (38). Smith accomplished a career-high 33 passes, Seattle had two 100-yard receivers, and Smith led one other game-winning drive. It was sufficient to win, however Macdonald is aware of that gained’t at all times minimize it.
“Transferring ahead, particularly in these conditions the place we have to run the ball, we’re going to must get that carried out,” Macdonald stated.
Coming into Week 3, the Seahawks rank thirty first in EPA per play on operating again carries, forward of solely the Las Vegas Raiders. On makes an attempt by operating backs, the Seahawks are twenty fifth in yards per carry (3.6), twenty first in yards (153) and twenty eighth in success price.
“We’ve obtained to seek out our calling card,” Macdonald stated Wednesday of the operating recreation. “We’ve obtained loads of great things happening, however we’re looking for our candy spot proper now. That’s the place we’re at. I feel we now have plan began proper now. Excited to see us go do it right now in follow.”
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Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver labored with Macdonald in Baltimore and runs a model of Seattle’s scheme. By way of two weeks, Miami has allowed operating backs to common 5.0 yards per carry, and they’re tied for fifth-most within the league. The Dolphins rank twenty first in defensive success price on operating again carries. Nonetheless, the pattern dimension is sufficiently small at this level within the yr that Seattle can’t simply count on to be higher at operating the ball as a result of the Dolphins haven’t put good run protection on tape.
Additionally, the Seahawks might as soon as once more be with out operating again Ken Walker III, who missed Week 2 with an indirect damage and didn’t follow Wednesday. Charbonnet rushed for 38 yards on 14 carries with a 1-yard landing run versus New England. Towards Denver in Week 1, he had simply 12 yards on eight carries. Charbonnet has needed to make one thing out of nothing on most of his runs. His yards earlier than contact common is damaging, which means he’s usually hit within the backfield earlier than reaching the road of scrimmage. He’s certainly one of 5 qualifying operating backs whose common is damaging (minimal 10 carries).
Many components contribute to having floor recreation, however as Macdonald stated this week, Seattle’s concern has been blocking. The Seahawks rank thirty first in run block win price, in accordance with ESPN.
“We’ve obtained to maneuver folks, man,” Macdonald stated. “Proper now we’re not shifting them. In order that’s a problem for us shifting ahead.”
Seattle got here into the season with questions on its inside offensive line, and that group has gotten off to an amazing begin. The precise guard spot stays unsettled. Anthony Bradford performed many of the snaps in Week 1, however he cut up reps with proper guard Christian Haynes in Week 2 (Haynes performed 14 snaps). Bradford’s 4 accepted penalties — three holds, one pointless roughness and a false begin — are tied for the league lead. This week, Macdonald described the proper guard state of affairs as “ongoing” and stated Haynes, a third-round rookie, has been “steadily enhancing.”
“The mentality is correct; a few of the method stuff isn’t proper now,” Macdonald stated of Haynes. “That’ll get cleaned up. He’s a man that we’re going to be relying on shifting ahead. Simply maintain hammering away, man. The alternatives are going to be there. Reap the benefits of them when they’re. There are usually not going to be as many as he most likely needs however he’ll create these by going on the market and producing.”
Macdonald stated rotating Bradford and Haynes throughout video games is “most likely not” sustainable for the complete season. However Macdonald stated, “If that’s what it’s going to take for us to play the most effective, then we’ll do it. You need continuity in your O-line; proper now, we’re not within the supreme spot. However we really feel like (a rotation) is the most effective factor for us.”
Seahawks have a protracted checklist of non-participants right now. That checklist consists of Ken Walker and Boye Mafe.
George Fant was a restricted take part. That checklist is lengthy too. pic.twitter.com/OJFRvh67JF
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) September 18, 2024
After the win over Denver, Smith praised offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb for his willingness to stick with the run recreation within the second half regardless of little or no success within the first two quarters. Seattle’s entrance line rewarded his religion with a greater displaying within the remaining two frames. A sluggish begin towards Miami might once more take a look at Grubb’s persistence. Because it pertains to the run recreation, Grubb this week has emphasised “being on the identical web page, being bodily on the level of assault and everybody doing their job,” left sort out Charles Cross stated.
As Seattle demonstrated towards New England, the Seahawks have sufficient firepower on offense to maneuver the ball even when the run recreation isn’t contributing. Tyler Lockett had a team-high 77 receiving yards in Week 1 after which caught simply two passes for 15 yards in Week 2 (he accounted for 32 essential yards through defensive cross interference penalties). DK Metcalf (10 catches, 129 yards, one landing) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (12 catches, 117 yards) supplied sufficient via the air to complement the shortage of a operating recreation. That was 2023 first-round decide Smith-Njigba’s first time going over 100 yards, a feat Metcalf stated alerts dangerous information for his or her upcoming opponents.
“It’s dangerous for the defenses that attempt to cowl us from right here on out,” Metcalf stated. “You bought Lock, me, Jax and you continue to haven’t seen Noah (Fant). You noticed Ken Week 1. Zach Charbonnet nonetheless has to interrupt out. I feel it’s only a ticking time bomb for all our stars on offense to have their recreation.”
The caveat to Metcalf’s level is that possessing all that firepower within the passing recreation doesn’t assure purple zone success. Seattle has scored only one landing on 4 purple zone drives this yr. The lone rating was Charbonnet’s 1-yard run, which got here after Lockett drew a penalty ultimately zone on third-and-5.
One of many “failed” journeys featured Seattle settling for a game-winning subject aim in time beyond regulation, however the different drive ending with a subject aim within the New England recreation got here on the finish of regulation when Smith was stuffed on a quarterback sneak on third-and-1 from the 15-yard line with 1:43 left to play. As a substitute of trying to increase the drive on fourth-and-1, Macdonald took a delay of recreation penalty and tied the sport with a subject aim. Seattle had a separate drive stall at New England’s 23-yard line within the third quarter as a result of Charbonnet was stuffed on fourth-and-1 resulting from poor blocking. The nearer Seattle will get to the top zone, the extra essential the run recreation turns into.
The Seahawks need the run recreation to be their bread and butter. They’ve the expertise to win video games via the air, however competent golf equipment can exploit a one-dimensional offense. The earlier employees realized that the laborious manner. Probably the most essential subplots this week is whether or not Macdonald and his employees keep away from that very same concern and proceed their sturdy begin to this season.
(Picture: Jaiden Tripi / Getty Photographs)
